Bag bundling press



Dec. 22, 1959 H. E. ZACHOW BAG BUNDLING PRESS 4 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1957 II (II.

I I I l I I I INVENTOR.

Ali/V81 E znzwaw Maw Dec. 22, 1959 H. E. ZACHOW BAG BUNDLING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1957 INVENTORJ 5 v ,qavzy E. z/acwaw v Dec. 22, 1959 H. E. ZACHOW BAG BUNDLING'PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 16, 1957 INVENTOR. ,qnver 5. ZACWOW BY WM W United States Patent BAG BUNDLING PRESS Henry E. Z'achow, Tacoma, Wash., assignor to American Manufacturing Company, Inc., Tacoma, Wash., a corporatlon of Washington,

Application December 16, 1957, Serial. No. 702,977

11 Claims. (Cl. 53-124) The present invention relates to press mechanism utilized in compacting packages of paper bags and wrapping them in paper to form a bundle.

Paper bags are used in considerable quantities by grocery stores and consequently they are purchased in quantitres. Such bags are bulky for their weight when assembled only in the usual small packages and consequently are not economical to ship and require an excesslve amount of space for storage. The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a press which will compact a plurality of packages of paper bags so that they will occupy relatively little space and then will enable such a compressed assembly of packages to be wrapped for maintaining them substantially n (siuch compacted condition until the bags are to be use A more specific object is to provide a machine which will facilitate the wrapping of paper bag packages into bundles by providing paper dispensing mechanism in conjunction with a press in such relationship that the paper will be most conveniently available for wrapping around the bag packages to form a bundle of them.

A further object is to provide a backing against which paper bag packages can be pressed during the bundling operation and which will interfere as little as Possible with the package wrapping operation.

A further object is to provide paper dispensing and cut off mechanism in connection with a bag press which will facilitate the bundling operation by dispensing and cutting a length of wrapping paper appropriate to wrap a bundle of bag packages when compacted to a predetermined size.

It is also an objectto minimize as far as possible the manual operations which must be performed in producing a bundle of compacted bag packages.

It is also desirable to be able to accomplish the ob 'jects specified above by utilization of relatively simple and rugged equipment.

In general, the foregoing objects can be accomplished by a machine including storing and dispensing mechanism for bundle wrapping paper located above bag press mechanism. The wrapping paper dispensing mechanism will dispense a predetermined length of wrapping paper over the press so that a plurality of bag packages can 'be placed on the press. The press can next be operated to compact the bag packages and the desired length of wrapping paper will then be severed from a roll of paper stored in the paper storage mechanism. While the press maintains the packages thus compacted, the wrapping paper can be secured about the pressed packages to form a-bundle. The press mechanism is then retracted to release the bundle thus formed and another length of wrapping paper is dispensed over the press for use in I making the next bundle of bags.

Figure :1 is a front elevation view of the bag bundling ,1 press with parts broken away;

Figure} is a side elevation of a portion of the bag press showing parts in their positions at the beginning 2,917,881 Patented Dec. 22, 1959 2 of a pressing operation and having parts broken away, while Figure 3. is. a similar view showing bag packages compressed.

Figure. 4 is a front elevation of the machine with parts in positions corresponding to Figure 3. with parts broken away, and Figure 5 is a similar view with parts a subsequent operative position.

Figure 6 is a side. elevation of the press with parts in operative positions subsequent to the positions of the parts shown in Figure 5, and Figure '1 is a similar view with parts broken away and showing parts in a further operative position. A

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of the cutting mechanism taken on line. 8-8, of Figure 4.

Essentially, the bag bundling press includes suitable framework within a housing 1 for supporting the various components of the. machine and the nature of the frame structure and housing can be selected according to. .the desires of the individual machine. designer. The housing form s, however, an upright backboard 2', which preferably is. inclined upwardly away from the operator, as shown best in Figure 2,, which in that case, is covered with a sheet of paper. A shelf 3. is located adjacent to the bottom of the backboard but is spaced outwardly from it to receive between such backboard .and shelfthe movable platen 4 of the bag press. As. shown in Figure 2, such movable platen preferably is disposedsubstantial- 1y perpendicular to they backboard 2 and is mounted on the piston rod 5 of an aireoperated piston and cylinder press actuator 6. i

As shown in Figure 2,, a plurality of packages P of paper grocery bags can be. supported on the movable platen 4 to be compacted in the press, and as the actuator 6 projects the piston rod 5, upwardly along the surface of the backboard 2, it will move the upper surface of the upper bag package into engagement with the. baching platen 7. This platen is supported in cantilever fashion by the platen slide 8 shown best in Figures 4 and 5 which is slidable, on the guide rod 9 along a path parallel to the backboard-2 and perpendicular to the path of the movable press platen ,4 by an air-operated piston and cylinder actuator 10. Thejplaten 7 preferably is a Plate of su stantial y uniform hick ess which wc ld not have great rigidity if supported only in cantilever i n when pressure is. xerted o it by th pr Con.- q t y, w en he pla en 7 s h ted in o the backing position shown in Figures 3 and 4, its. free end is inserted in a 1.11 be two p ates 12. and 3 e u ed to the frame of the'machiue adjacent to cylinder 10 and opposite the guide rod 9. I

In order t insur tha he fre end of the ba ki g platen 7 will be disposed in proper position .to be inserted in the slo 11, the slide ,8 must be prevented from turning on the guide rod 9. While such slide and guide rod could be made of non-circular cross section to accomplish this purpose, the piston rod 14 connecting the actuator 10 and the slide 8 would prevent turning of the platen slide on the guide rod. It is preferred, however, that an additional guide rod 15 be provided, which is connected to the slide 8 and suitably guided in the framework of the machine to insure that the platen 7 cannot tilt as it is reciprocated by the actuator 10. When the slide and backing platen have been shifted fully to the right as shown in Figure 4, the guide rod 15 will extend outward beyond the frame of the machine at the side ppos t he u e r d :9-

While the press described could compact a stack of bag packages between its platens, such compaction is of no benefit unless it can be maintained thereafter so as to convert the individual packages into a compact bundle. It is preferred that this bundle be wrapped in a sheet of wrapping paper, although such a bundle of packages roller 19 will move along an are half could be secured by cords or tapes Bearing in mind that such cords or tapes could be substituted for the wrapping paper, the machine is illustrated as providing a wrapping paper cover for the bag packages. In order to enable the machine to package with equal facility bundles of difierent sizes, it is preferred that the wrapping paper be supplied and stored as a roll from which successive appropriate lengths of wrapping paper are cut. Alternatively, however, it would be possible to supply to a comparable machine cut lengths of wrapping paper appropriate to fold around a bundle of paper bag packages.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the wrapping paper is stored at a location above the backboard 2 and an appropriate length of such paper is fed down over the backboard, movable platen 4 and shelf 3 when the platen is in the lowered position of Figure 2 and before the packages P of bags have been placed on the platen. In order to place such a length of wrapping paper easily in this position, it is thus placed when the retractable backing platen has been withdrawn from its position extending across the backboard into the offset position shown in Figures 1 and 5. The length of wrapping paper supplied, extending across and draping beyond the shelf 3, will be sufiicient so that it will complete at least one circuit of the bundle in conjunction with the portion of the wrapping paper length extending above the backing platen 7 when the bag packages are compacted as shown in Figure 3.

While the roll R of wrapping paper could be rotatively mounted on an axle, it is preferred that the roll simply be placed in a trough 16 and carried on rollers 17 so that it can be revolved. From the paper roll R the paper strip is passed beneath the guide roller 18, over the movable roller 19 of slack accumulating means, and be tween the cooperating powered feed roller 20 and pressure roller 21 of wrapping paper feed means. The paper web then passes across a shearing edge 22 and beneath the path of a cutter wheel 23, over the upper edge of the backboard 2. The length of paper web to be used in wrapping a single bundle of bag packages extends from the shearing edge 22 down over the backboard, across the movable platen 4 and shelf 3 and is draped to the extent necessary beyond such shelf.

It will be evident that the paper bag packages P are placed on the paper web which overlies the movable platen 4. As this movable platen is raised, therefore, the packages would press the paper web against the movable platen so that it could not slip across the platen as the web is raised by upward movement of the platen. Normally, therefore, there would be a tendency for the paper web extending over the backboard 2 to become bunched or wrinkled as the movable platen is raised. To prevent this occurrence, slack accumulating or take-up mechanism is provided to keep the web smoothly covering the backboard as the movable platen is raised. The slack in the web is taken up by upward movement of the roller 19 at a speed coordinated with the speed of movement of the movable platen. The action of roller 19 being moved upwardly is to draw a loop in the web between the rollers 18 and 21.

Coordination of the upward movement of roller 19 and upward projection of the movable platen 4 is efiected by mechanically interconnecting these elements and designing the connecting mechanism so that the roller 19 will be raised at a speed approximately one-half the upward speed of the platen 4. Such mechanism may include a lever 24 carrying one end of the roller 19 and a link 25 connected to the swinging end of the lever and .to the movable platen 4. The roller 19 is mounted on the lever at a location halfway between its pivot 26 and the connection of link 25 to the lever. Consequently, the as long as the are through which the lever and link connection moves. The latter are is approximately equal to the displacement of the movable platen 4 so that the roller 19 moves approximately one-half the amount of platen movement, but since the roller 19 draws a loop, the sum of the two sides of the loop will be substantially equal to the movement of the movable platen. The opposite end of roller 19 is carried by an arm 27 which is pivoted to swing about an axis coinciding with the axis of swing of the arm 24, as established by the arm pivot 28.

When the stack of bag packages has been compacted between the movable platen 4 and the stationary platen '7 as shown in Figure 3, the bundle is ready to be wrapped. In order to sever a length of wrapping paper from the paper web to wrap around the compacted bag packages, the cutting wheel 23 is reciprocated along the shearing edge 22 in the direction indicated in Figure 4 by the piston rod 29 of the fluid pressure piston and cylinder actuator 39. This cutting wheel is carried by the carriage 31 which is connected to the piston rod and is supported on and guided by the bar 32 extending across the machine. The cutting wheel is simply of the idling type and will be turned by engagement with the paper web. As soon as the movement of the cutter wheel across the web has been completed, it will be severed so that the freshly cut end can be folded downward, as

indicated by the broken arrow in Figure 3, over the backing platen 7. The lower end of the web below the movable platen 4 can then be brought upward into overlapping relationship with the upper end. It is immaterial which end of the wrapping paper length is over and which is under. The overlapping ends can then be secured'together to complete the package.

When the wrapping paper has thus been secured in position encircling the bag packages, the movable platen 4 may be retracted downward slightly so that the load will be removed from the backing platen 7 and the bag packages will be held in compacted condition by the tension of the paper Web. The fluid pressure actuator 10 can then be energized to shift the backing platen from the position shown in Figure 4 to that of Figure 5, thus withdrawing the backing platen out of the bundle. During such operation, the bundle cannot be moved with the backing platen, however, because it will engage and be stopped by the side plate 33 if the frictional engagement of the backing platen with the wrapping paper and the bag packages tends to move the bundle ofl? the backboard. The movable platen 4 can then be lowered to its lowermost position so that the bundle descends with it, as it is in Figure 5. Meanwhile the actuator 30 can return the cutting wheel carriage 31 to the left as shown in the same figure. When the platen has reached its lowermost position, the ejector plate 34, carried by piston rod 35 of the fluid pressure piston and cylinder actuator 36, may be moved to the left to shift the completed bundle off the movable platen 4 and onto a suitable discharge conveyor -37.

When the completed bundle has thus been removed from the movable platen, another length of paper can be fed downward into position for wrapping the next bundle. Downward movement of the movable platen 4 will have shifted the link 25 downward correspondingly so that lever 24 and take-up roller 19 will have been lowered simultaneously to the position shown in Figure 6, leaving the loop of paper extending upwardly between the two rollers 18 and 21. The next length of paper is fed downward over the backboard 2 by the combination of feed rolls 20 and21. Except when paper is to be fed, these rolls are separated sufficiently so that the paper web is not clamped between them and roll 21 serves simply as a guide roll. This roller'is supported for movement toward and away from roller 20, however, by being mounted on the lever arm 38 which is swingable about its pivot 39 by the piston rod 40 of a fluid pressure piston and cylinder actuator 41, which piston rod is pivoted to the end of the lever remote from the roller 21.

The powered roller 20 will be driven during the paper feed operation by a motor 42 connected to the roller by a suitable belt or chain 43. A timing belt or chain 44 also is driven by this motor in synchronism with the belt 43. A backing bar 45 extends for a substantial distance behind one length of this belt or chain and such belt or chain carries a switch-actuating member 46. Such switchactuating member is positioned to be moved by the belt or chain into engagement successively with the arm of a switch 47 and then with the arm of a switch 48. During the bag-pressing and bundle-forming portion of the operation, the belt or chain 44 can remain stationary, but discharge of the bundle from the movable platen by the ejector plate 34 could automatically effect energization of the motor 42.

For controlling the paper feed by operation of the ejector plate 34 after the plate has returned to the position shown in Figure l, a double switch 49 may be mounted adjacent to the plate 34 for actuation by a lug 50 carried by such plate. This double switch is connected in circuit with the motor 42 and the actuator 41 so that as the ejector plate returns to its initial position, it will close the circuit through this switch momentarily to effect energization of the circuit of motor 42 and a suitable holding circuit to continue such energization of the motor. Simultaneously, closing of such switch will effect a supply of fluid under pressure to the lower end of the cylinder of actuator 41 so as to extend its piston rod 40 and swing lever 38 for pressing roller 21 downward to engage the paper web with the rotating roller 20. Pinching of the paper web between rollers 20 and 21 will effect feed of it with travel of the timing belt or chain 44.

When the switch actuator'46 has been moved by belt or chain 44 upward over the motor driven pulley, down the opposite side of its path and up again to the switch 47, it will engage and move such switch to effect supply of fluid under pressure to the upper end of actuator cylinder 41 so as to move the piston rod 40 downward and swing lever 38 to lift roller 21. The paper web will then no longer be clamped between the rollers 20- and 21 and the paper feed will stop. The amount of paper thus fed will depend upon the distance around thechain from the initial position of the switch-actuating member 46 shown in broken lines in Figure 6, and the position of switch47. Switch 47 preferably is mounted suitably for vertical adjustment along the length of the backing bar 45 so that it may be lowered to decrease the length of this path and consequently reduce the amount of paper fed, or thisswitch may be raised to increase the interval during which the paper webis clamped between rollers 20 and 21 for feeding; When by continued movement of the timing chain the switch actuator 46 is engaged with switch 48, such switch will ie-energize the motor 42. The actuator will be carried a short distance past the switch 48 by the momentum of the motor and chain or belt 41 so that it will come to rest in a position suchv as shown in Figure 6.

In following through a cycle of operation, assuming that the ejector plate 34 has returned to the position shown in Figure l and a length of wrapping paper has been fed from the roll R downward across the backboard 2 to the position shown in Figure 2, a stack of paper bag packages P may be placed on the movable platen 4. If the backboard 2 is inclined so that the movable platen slopes downward toward the backboard, the length of wrapping paper tends to conform much more closely to the angle between the backboard and the movable platen. Moreover, the stack of bag packages P leaning against the backboard is prevented from toppling over. The foot pedal 51 is then depressed to energize the actuator of the backing platen 7 so that it will be shifted from the position shown in Figure 1 to that of Figures 3 and 4. When this platen has reached such position, it automatically closes another switch to energize the actuator 6 for the movable platen 4. This platen then rises, lifting the stack of paper bag packages to press them against the backing platen 7. The backing platen is held in this position against the pressure of the press by the guide mechanism at one side of the backboard and by the bar 13 with which the free end of the movable platen is engaged.

During upward movement of the movable platen, the lever; 24 of the paper slack accumulating mechanism has raised tightener roller 19 to draw the wrapping paper web smoothly over the upper portion of the backboard. When the movable platen has reached its uppermost position it actuates a valve for supplying fluid to the cutter carriage actuator 30 for moving the carriage 31 and cutter 23 in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 4, so as to sever a length of wrapping paper. The two ends of the wrapping paper length are then overlapped and secured together for completing the bundle. The bundling machine remains in this condition until the operator again depresses the foot pedal 51.

When the foot pedal 51 is depressed the second time the pressure in the actuator 6 is relieved so that the movable platen 4 begins to move downward sufficiently to relieve the pressure on the upper platen 7. At that time the actuator 10 is energized oppositely to shift the backing platen 7 from the position shown in Figure 4 to that of Figure 5, thus withdrawing it from the package. The movable platen may then be lowered the rest of the'way, carrying the completed bundle down with it. Preferably, such downward movement of the lower platen is expedited by the backing platen actuating a fast-operating valve for the actuator 6, when the platen 7 reaches the retracted position shown in Figure 5. The movable platen 4, upon completion of its downward movement, energizes actuator 30 to return the cutter carriage in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 5. Such completion of the movable platens downward movement also effects energization of actuator 36 to project to the left, as seen in Figure 5, ejector plate 34 which shifts the completed bundle off the movable platen 4 and onto the discharge conveyor 37.

Return movement of the ejector plate 34, as has been discussed, effects the dual operation of energizing motor 42 and actuator 41 to swing lever 38 for moving roller 21 into position clamping the paper between it and roller 20. A fresh length of paper is then fed downward over the backboard in the manner illustrated in Figure 7 until the switch 47 is engaged by the actuator 46 to energize actuator 41 for raising roller 21. The machine is then in condition forthe operator to place on the movable platen 4 a new stack of paper bag packages P to be compressed and wrapped into a bundle.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bundling press comprising a backing platen hav ing a bundle-engaging surface facing downward, a movable platen disposed beneath said backing platen, having a bundle-engaging surface facing upward and movable upward toward said backing platen for compacting a "bundle therebetween, and wrapping paper accumulating means located above said backing platen, engageable with wrapping paper extending past said backing platen and downward over said movable platen and shiftable upward conjointly with upward movement of said movable platen for drawing wrapping paper upward past said backing platen as said movable platen is moved upward toward said backing platen.

2. The bundling press defined in claim 1, and cutting means located between the wrapping paper accumulating means and the backing platen and engageable with the wrapping paper to sever a length thereof while the wrap ping paper accumulating means is in an upwardly shifted position.

3. The bundling press defined in claim 1, and means connecting the wrapping paper accumulating means and said movable platen for driving said wrapping paper accumulating means by movement of the movable platen.

4. The bundling press defined in claim 1, in which the wrapping paper accumulating means includes paper .loop forming means, and means connected to said paper loop forming means for moving it upward at approximately one-half the speed of upward movement of the movable platen. I

5. The bundling press defined in claim 4, and cutting means located between the wrapping paper accumulating means and the backing platen and engageable with the wrapping paper to sever a length thereof while the paper loop forming means is in position maintaining a loop in the wrapping paper.

6. The bundling press defined in claim 4, in which the loop forming means includes wrapping paper engaging means, a lever carrying said wrapping paper engaging means, and link means interconnecting said lever and the movable platen for effecting movement'of the wrapping paper engaging means by movement of the platen.

7. A bundling press comprising a backing platen having a bundle-engaging surface facing downward, a movable platen disposed beneath said backing platen, having a bundle-engaging surface facing upward and movable upward toward said backing platen for compacting a bun dle therebetween,-wrapping paper storage means disposed above said backing platen, two guide rollers engageable by one side of a length of paper extending from said wrapping paper storage means downward past said backing platen into a position overlying said movable platen and spaced apart lengthwise of such length of paper, a third roller engaged with the opposite side of the length of paper and disposed between said first two rollers, and means connected to said third roller and movable to shift said third roller bodily relative to said first two rollers simultaneously with movement of said movable platen, for drawing a loop in the length of paper to draw the wrapping paper upward past said backing platen as said movable platen is moved upward toward said backing platen.

8. A bundling press comprising a backing platen having a bundle-engaging surface facing downward, a movable platen beneath said backing platen, having a bundleengaging surface facing upward and movable upward to Ward said backing platen for compacting a bundle therebetween, wrapping paperstorage means disposed above said backing platen, means operable to feed a length of wrapping paper from said wrapping paper storage means downward past said backing platen into a position overlying said movable platen, a cutter element, guide means engaged by said cutter element, disposed above said backing platen and extending parallel to the bundle-engaging surface thereof, and drive means connected to said cutter element for moving it along said guide means to sever such a length of wrapping paper from the wrapping paper of said storage means.

9. A bundling press comprising an upright backboard, a backing platen shiftable lengthwise in a plane substantially perpendicular to said backboard froma position in registry with said backboard and having a bundleengag- 8 ing surface facing downward to a position retracted from registry with said backboard, a movable platen disposed beneath said backing platen and substantially perpendicular to said backboard, having a bundle-engaging surface facing upward and movable upward toward said backing platen for compacting a bundle therebetween, wrapping paper storage and dispensing means disposed above said backing platen and including means for dispensing a length of wrapping paper downward past said backing platen over said backboard and movable platen, wrapping paper accumulating means located above said backing platen, engageable with wrapping paper extending past said backing platen and shiftable upward conjointly with upward movement of said movable platen for draw ing wrapping paper upward past said backing platen as said movable platen is moved upward toward said backing platen, and drive means interconnecting said wrapping paper accumulating means and said movable platen for effecting accumulating movement of said wrapping paper accumulating means by upward movement of said movable platen.

10. A bundling press comprising an upright backboard, a movable platen disposed substantially perpendicular to said backboard, a planar backing platen above said movable platen and shiftable lengthwise in a plane substantially perpendicular to said backboard between an operative position in registry with said backboard and said movable platen and a retracted position out of registry with said movable platen, guide means engaged by said backing platen and of a length parallel to the planes of both said backboard and said backing platen at least as great as the distance through which said backing platen is shiftable, guiding said backing platen for linear movement, means for dispensing a length of wrapping paper downward past said backing platen over said backboard and movable platen, actuating means connected to said backing platen for moving it along said guide means, and actuating means engaging said movable platen and operable to move it upward toward said backing platen for compressing bags therebetween.

11. The bundling press defined in claim 10, in which the first actuating means is of a length parallel to the guide means and the plane of the backing platen and the plane of the backboard at least as great as the distance through which the backing platen is movable between its operative position and its retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,396 Rumsey Nov. 26, 1957 1,182,393 Luttropp May 9, 1916 1,493,946 Abbott May 13, 1924 2,653,431 Robinson Sept. 29, 1953 2,751,731 Evers June 26, 1956 2,768,489 Brown et a1. Oct. 30, 1956 2,819,574 Maust Jan. 14, 1958 

